


Plagued Her

by inferablefiend



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Dizziness, Dreams, F/M, Nightmares, Sweat, plagued
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 14:24:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9127642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inferablefiend/pseuds/inferablefiend
Summary: Shepard has a nightmare every night. A memory of her falling out of the ruined Normandy. She seeks comfort in Thane.





	

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been a while. I’ll admit that. Christmas snuck up on me and I just… No excuses. Or one. I didn’t feel like writing. Couldn’t get my characters to connect. Here’s a fluffy one-shot for all of you still waiting for chapters on my other fics. I promise to get to those soon.

The dreams plagued her. Like they did every night. Air hissing through her ears. Her grunts being broadcasted to her team as they listened to her plummet to her death. Hands scratched at the suit, attempting to find the leak of oxygen. Her suit heating up as she fell to her death. The growing white planet. Coming closer and closer and… The sight of her ‘grave’ sent her twisting in her blanket. Odessa shot up, hands tearing at the blanket attempting to untangle herself in her panic. Feeling of hair around her neck like a noose sent her fingernails scratching at her neck as she tried to remove it. Her eyes were first attracted to the empty fish tank in the wall. She stared at it a moment, not believing it was real.

Details of her room came to her slowly. Her chest fluttered with fear, breathing constricted. It slowly disappeared, making her body and head feel light. Dizziness took over. She lay back down on her bed, throwing a hand up. Yes. She was real. Yes. She was alive. Remnants of the dream faded, though not as quickly as she would’ve liked, leaving her exhausted physically.

Her body asked for more sleep, but her brain refused to let her rest long enough to close her eyes. Odessa swung her legs over the bed, sitting for a moment before deciding to go get a cup of extremely weak hot chocolate. Perhaps the heat would exhaust her mind enough.

Odessa slipped on her slippers and padded her way down to the kitchen area. She mindlessly ticked off the seconds between the time the elevator door closed and the time it opened. 

The crew deck was dimly lit. Just light enough for her to walk through to the kitchen area without bumping her shins on a chair or low counter. “Where is my cup?” she whispered harshly to herself. Her rummaging around for cups woke someone as she heard a door whoosh open. 

“Siha…” Thane’s gravelly voice greeted her as he came around the corner. “It’s almost midnight. What are you doing up?”

“I’m getting hot chocolate. Slightly hungry,” Odessa said, the lie dying on her lips before more was said. His black eyes offered no insight on whether or not he believed her. She would have to guess he didn’t.

On more than one occasion, she thought about mentioning the nightmares to him. She thought about inviting him to sleep with her in her cabin, thinking that would maybe keep the nightmares away. Or at least give her company while she came down from the adrenaline high the fear pumped into her system.

More than once, she decided against it. Thane had his own problems to contend with. The fact that he was dying could possibly, you know… be number one on that list. 

But seeing him broke her resolve. Tears silently streamed from the corners of her eyes as she brought her hand to her mouth to stop from noisily sobbing. The fabric of her sweater barely kept the sob at bay. Fear coursed back into her system, visions of the ever approaching planet below her encased her like a sadistic hug. “I…” No other excuse came to the surface. Not when she was breaking down like she was.

Thane went to her slowly, like approaching a pacing tiger. Like he thought she could snap at any moment. Odessa fell into his arms, her crying becoming more loud. In the back of her mind, she was aware of how much noise she was making. That part of her wanted it to stop. Don’t bring more attention to yourself, it said. The couple went down with Thane’s back against the cabinets and her nestled against his chest. 

The big sweater swallowed her whole, making her feel small and safe. Her head throbbed from the lack of oxygen in her crying fit. Thane’s hand brushed lightly at the back of her scalp, running the strands through his fingers. He said nothing. Did nothing more than pet her head.

His silence was reassurance. He was there. Real. 

When her sobbing subsided and all that remained were puffy eyes and a headache, he spoke. “Siha, why didn’t you come to me sooner?” His hand continued to play with her hair. Odessa knew he was looking down at her as she could feel the pressure of his chin on the top of her head.

“I… I didn’t want to bother you. You have enough going on.” It was the truth, plain and simple. There was no excuse. His hand tightened briefly on her arm.

“You are my priority. You are my love and you come first before all. Siha….” Sleep grew heavy on Odessa’s eyelids. She pulled her knees closer to her chest, attempting to make herself feel small again. Feel safe. “Siha. My love. My warrior.” Thane’s words repeated themselves, playing on a loop in her mind as she fell further into oblivion.


End file.
